


Understand My Love!

by Yunan



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, I lost the prompt though oops, Language Barrier, M/M, it was about rin only telling makoto he loves him in english??, this was originally for the free! kink meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 14:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3071636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yunan/pseuds/Yunan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Rin, you’re doing that thing again,” Makoto whines, shoulders slumping. Rin averts his eyes.</p><p>“I dunno what you’re talking about.” Except he does. </p><p>“Oh come on, you know. You said something really important just now!”</p><p>“How would you know if you didn’t understand?” </p><p>“See! You knew I couldn’t understand and that’s why you said it in English! If you have something to say, say it in Japanese.”</p><p>In which Rin has trouble voicing his feelings and Makoto must take matters into his own hands, on Rin's humble suggestion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Understand My Love!

It’s pathetic, really, depending on a language barrier to tell his boyfriend how he feels. But you can’t just _say_ that shit in Japanese; every time he tries, Rin ends up with words caught in his throat and an entirely different subject spewing from his lips. Why would Makoto need to hear it anyways, he reasons with himself, when his actions should be more than enough. Words are just fancy sounds so in the end, to hell with that.

Except sometimes actions really aren’t enough, and Rin is surprisingly struck with the urge to vocalize his thoughts. It’s not overwhelming, his chest isn’t about to burst with love or any other sort of cheesy romantic cliches, he just… suddenly wants to say it. Like when they’re hanging out in his room, watching a movie Rin’s only half paying attention to, and his arms are looped loosely around Makoto from behind while his chin rests on his shoulder. He’s comfortable, content with listening to the brunet’s rhythmic breathing as someone’s insides are being blown up in the film that’s on. Or something like that, after all he’s only been half paying attention to it.

“ _Rin_ … do we really have to watch this movie?” Concerned green eyes turn from flayed limbs to the redhead behind him, and Rin is lazily brought back from his calming stupor.

“Hm?” is his intelligent response. Sighing, Makoto gestures to the mutilated bodies on the television screen.

“I know you said you wanted to watch this, but I really don’t think I can take much more of… massacred people.” He’d wanted to watch this? Squinting at the movie, Rin belatedly realizes that yeah, he had insisted they rent this. He’d been eyeing it since it came out, and even though it’s the definition of not-Makoto’s-thing, he’d been convinced it’d be better than whatever dorky title Makoto would have picked. From what little he’d caught of it though, he’s gradually getting the idea that it’s more so-so than anything.

“...I wanna keep it on for a bit longer,” he replies despite that. The look of utter dismay that then crosses the other’s face is akin to a horrified puppy, and immediately a smile breaks out on Rin’s lips as he has the gall to laugh. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! We can turn it off, I wasn’t really watching it anyways.” Makoto’s previous terror melts to relief. Then directly to incredulous.

“Thank―hey! Do you mean I’ve been watching this alone for the last forty minutes?!” His barks of laughter fail to cease, and he reaches for the remote to switch off the film before continuing.

“Hey hey, I watched most of the beginning. But then I kinda drifted.” This explanation does nothing to improve Makoto’s exasperation, as he pursues the topic further.

“Drifted? To what? I was enduring the whole thing thinking I was being strong for you…!” Unfortunately for him, the more the brunet tries to be intimidating the more undoubtedly adorable he appears to Rin. Nuzzling the crook of his boyfriend’s neck, the bouts of laughter that previously shook his shoulders had finally begun to settle down. Sighing contently, he’s pleasingly close enough to drawl into Makoto’s ear,

“I got distracted by you.” Almost instantly Makoto’s face heats up, although Rin can barely register it before the taller male scuttles away probably embarrassed as hell; and with his support suddenly robbed from him the only thing the redhead can see is the carpet. And how his face unceremoniously collides with it.

“ _Fuck―_ Makoto you can’t do that!” he exclaims, more irate from the pain than the person himself. Not that Makoto totally gets that, as he’s rushing over as fast as he’d scampered away just moments ago.

“O-Oh my god I’m so sorry Rin… But you too!” A cross between helpless and accusatory, he continues, “You don’t say things like that I...I―it’s _embarrassing_.” The pain is already ebbing away, now only a dull throb, but one look at Makoto lets Rin ignore it completely. The fretful and overly concerned face painting his expression somehow clicks, and Rin can only think, _Ah, it’s one of those moments._ One of those moments he feels like telling Makoto exactly how he feels, directly with words.

_“I really love you, Mako.”_

...in English.

The confession is spent on ignorant ears, but he’s pulled this stunt far too many times it seems. Momentarily stunned, the other male’s shock doesn’t last long before Rin is pinned with an exasperated stare.

“Rin, you’re doing that thing again,” Makoto whines, shoulders slumping. Rin averts his eyes.

“I dunno what you’re talking about.” Except he does.

“Oh come on, you know. You said something really important just now!”

“How would you know if you didn’t understand?”

“See! You knew I couldn’t understand and that’s why you said it in English! If you have something to say, say it in Japanese.” They’ve had this conversation in the past, and every time without fail Rin manages to steer the topic away. Now is simply one time of many.

“It wasn’t really that important, just let it go. I don’t feel like talking right now anyways.” Crawling over to the exasperated brunet, Rin throws his arms around his neck as he leans in close. His shark-like teeth are bared in the shape of smirk, and he can practically feel Makoto’s soft breath as he closes the distance and meets―

Makoto’s hand. Blinking owlishly as his lips are barred from their target, he backs away on pure shock.

“What the―”

“No!” Makoto is beet red once more―really, this guy gets embarrassed by the littlest things even after they’ve been going out for months now―but he’s at least trying to appear firm and serious. “I’m not letting you seduce your way out of this, Rin!” Withdrawing completely and sitting up straight across from the other male, Rin flashes a confident smile.

“So you admit to being seduced?”

“Wha―no! I mean, y-yes but that’s not the point! It’s not fair you keep using English when you know I can’t understand. Maybe I want to hear it.” He always puts up a fuss when this happens, but it’s nothing Rin’s not used to. Or at least that’s what he tells himself.

“Mhm, yeah yeah I got it, no English. So about what we were doing…” Taking this as an opportunity to move in again, Rin almost thinks he’s won―again―until he gets inches from Makoto’s face and is met with hands on his shoulders, preventing him from getting closer.

“ _Rin_ you said that last time, and the time before that too, actually. I’m not going to fall for this so easily anymore.” As unconvincing as Makoto’s “stern” face is, Rin comes to the annoying realization that his boyfriend isn’t going to give in so easily this time. Being rejected so many times is starting to grate on his nerves, so with a click of his tongue he snaps,

“Fine fine, if you wanna know what I’m saying so badly grab your English textbook and study! Then you’ll have no trouble understanding me no matter what language I speak.” Makoto clearly hadn’t been anticipating the suggestion, but his uncertainty hasn’t been blown away yet.

“What? But English is my worst subject and you know that! Besides, I can’t possible become fluent in a language that quickly.” Sighing and scratching the back of his head, Rin relents just a tiny bit.

“You don’t need to learn the whole langauge idiot, it’s a simple phrase that shouldn’t be hard to look up.” Under his breath he mumbles, “It’s basically the same thing every time anyways,” except that part wasn’t supposed to be heard by Makoto. So it’s just his luck it’s what Makoto latches onto.

“Really? Geez Rin, if you’re gonna say the same thing just say it in Japanese.”  Grimacing that he’d managed to catch that last bit, Rin tries not to show it with a huff and pointed turn of his head.

“There’s a reason I don’t say it in Japanese.” Makoto lets out a small chuckle, his hand reaches out to ruffle his boyfriend’s red hair.

“C’mon don’t pout Rin, soon I’ll have it all figured out so you won’t have to worry about anything anymore.” That’s not reassuring, Rin thinks, but he turns to face the other once more nonetheless. Pinning the brunet with a still grumpy stare, Makoto smiles his usual smile again.

“Riiin are you still mad?”

“I dunno… you still seduced?” The sulky face Rin had put on for show instantly transforms into a downright devious one as his lips curl into a devilish smile. Swiftly swinging his leg around Makoto’s hips so his ankles cross at the small of his back, Rin wraps his arms around the other’s shoulders as he presses their foreheads together. A meaningful thrust of his hips earns a yelp from the other, and Rin can feel the heat of Makoto’s blush as he seals his lips with his own.

Grinding his pelvis slow and purposeful against Makoto, the heat that builds up as a result isn't just from Makoto's flushed face. Rin can see Makoto’s jaw clenching in an effort to bite back his voice as he breaks the kiss, but one particularly hard jerk of his hips elicits a restrained cry from the taller male anyways. Moving to whisper directly into Makoto’s ear, if he can’t feel the smile then surely the brunet can hear it as he asks,

“Have I seduced my way out of it yet?” For a moment Makoto hesitates, as if he’s not willing to give in just yet, but his green eyes are almost completely glazed over and Rin knows his anwer before he can even say it.

“Nngh… _yes_ , but only for now.” Paying no attention to any of the words past “yes”, Rin shows off his teeth as he hugs his boyfriend tightly.

“Hurry up and take me to bed then.”

* * *

Rin doesn’t hear anything more of Makoto and English from then on for awhile, and to be honest the entire ordeal slips his mind all together unless accompanied by a whimsical recollection of the night that had followed, and by then the reminiscing takes over any other insignificant lead-ups. It’s not like he’s constantly using English either, it’s always just a spur of the moment thing that happens sparingly, although evidently it bothers Makoto every time no matter how scarce.

So suffice to say, Rin goes about the next few weeks blissfully unconcerned with the whole English affair until they’re at Makoto’s house together, cooking dinner for themselves. When asked if they should cook enough for all of his siblings, Makoto had only smiled and reassured him that his brothers and sisters were all out today and it’d be just them for awhile.

“So we’re _all_ alone in your house, huh Makoto?” Rin asks, tossing a suggestive smirk his way. Unfortunately, it almost quite literally bounces off of him.

“Yeah, it’s just us so we don’t need to worry about cooking too much food. Oh―unless you’re really hungry, Rin!”  Makoto’s maintained innocence never ceases to amaze, and Rin lets this slide with a resigned snort.

“Nah, I’m fine, I had a good breakfast so just the standard amount will do.”

“Okay!” With a cheerful wave, Makoto then shoos Rin out of the kitchen to wait while he finishes up. Rin almost protests, but the chances of him purposely distracting his boyfriend from cooking, especially in that frilly apron―god, where did he even buy that?―are admittedly very high, so he exits without much of a fuss.

It only takes ten minutes or so for Makoto to emerge from the kitchen, a delicious looking hotpot in his hands.

“I tried to put in all the things you like Rin, so I hope you enjoy.” His bowl is already filled with what does indeed appear to be a lot of his favorite foods, and as he scoops some into his mouth, a smile erupts onto his face as his savors the taste.

“This is delicious! You’re the best, Makoto.” Those are about the only words exchanged during dinner, as Rin spends the rest of the time shoveling food down his throat as quickly as possible. Makoto tries to tell him to slow down at one point, but Rin’s pretty sure that while he’d heard him, he hadn’t responded with any kind of coherent words, and nor did he slow down in the slightest.

The entire pot is empty when Rin leans back and relaxes in his chair, letting out a satisfied breath of air.

“That was great, thanks Makoto. Remind me to return the favor and cook for you too sometime.”

“Ahaha, you’re welcome. You don’t have to do that though, I’ll cook for you any time you want.” It slips out involuntarily, by habit even.

_“Ah, I love you.”_

_“I love you too!”_ Rin chuckles and basks in how cheesy it all is before―

“Wait.” He bolts upright in his seat and stares at Makoto, who’s still smiling although his eyes are looking at Rin questioningly.

“What did you just say?” Makoto blinks, then tilts his head.

“‘I love you too’?” Rin isn’t sure what’s got him the most confused, what Makoto had just said or how he seems completely unaware of what he’d just said.

“That. Why, how…?” Searching his boyfriend’s face for answers, all he sees is pure perplexity.

“How… did I know what to say?” Makoto slowly begins to piece together Rin’s problem.

“Y...Yes, how did you even know what I said?!” That’s the real issue here. When did he…

“Eh? But wasn’t it you who told me to, Rin? You told me awhile ago to study my textbook and I did! I was getting kinda worried about how you've never said it to me before, but finding out that this is what you’ve been saying eased a lot of my worries.” Makoto’s insecurity is, unfortunately, second to Rin’s growing panic. Shit, had he really said that? Why had he suggested something so stupid? Well, not stupid for Makoto but stupid for _him_ if he ever wants to avoid embarrassment from now on. Though wait… the conversation starts flooding back, and Rin recalls another blunder of his. Makoto knows he’s been saying the same thing every time, so if he just thinks back and connects the dots then…

He must have realized how many times Rin has said he loves him by now, right?

Shit. Shit shit shit. If it would have been embarrassing in the heat of the moment, imagining Makoto looking back at all of those moments and seeing the truth in them has got to be ten times worse. God, he can’t even look him in the face anymore. Averting his eyes and looking anywhere but the green ones in front of him, Rin focuses all his energy into calming the blush that’s rapidly spreading on his face. It’s not working any better than his attempts usually do, but he tries not to think about it.

“...Rin?” Makoto asks after a few minutes of silence. He jumps as Rin flinches, and the red head forces himself to look at him. He doesn’t say a word though, fearing what kind of crap he might spew if he opens his mouth.

“Why are you so upset…?”

“I’m not embarrassed!!” His hand flies to his mouth as his eyes once more find solace in the floor. Fuck. He knew he shouldn’t have opened his mouth.

“Oh, so you’re embarrassed?”

“No, stupid! I just said I wasn’t didn’t I?” Goddamn it all.

“Are you sure? You look kinda embarrassed to me…” Groaning, Rin drags a hand down his face as he grumbles into his hand.

“So what if I’m embarrassed, that shit’s embarrassing to say for anyone.”

“Is it? But I don’t mind saying it anytime. I love you, Rin.” Recoiling as if he’d been hit, Rin snaps his gaze back to Makoto and the blush he had just gotten to calm down is flaring right back up again.

“Maybe if I say it enough times I’ll know how you feel. So, I love you.” Rin’s eyes widen. He wouldn’t.

“I love you―”

Does he really intend to…?

“I love you I love you I love you―”

“Enough!” Rin jumps out of his seat to press his hands over Makoto’s mouth, his entire body burning. “Rather than embarrass yourself you’re embarrassing me so quit it! I get it, okay?” He’s not really mad at Makoto, not entirely at least. Rather… why the hell can he say it so smoothly when Rin can’t even manage it in their native language? It pisses him off, and his heart pounding in his chest doesn’t help either.

Gently taking hold of Rin’s wrists, Makoto removes his hands from his mouth and smiles serenely.

“Alright alright, I got it. But you know Rin,” he tugs the boy forward, causing the red head to almost collide with the table top, “I really love you.” Rin sputters, but the willpower to do more than get progressively redder is lost to him.

“Will you say you love me too? Just once, in Japanese?” Rin’s mouth flaps, but the only words that come out are,

“What? N-No! I-I said it plenty of times before, and now that you know isn’t that enough?”

Makoto looks genuinely offended. “Huh? But those times were all in English!”

“It’s the same thing!” Rin insists.

“No, it isn’t!”

“You can understand English now so I shouldn’t have to say it in Japanese.”

“That’s not fair and you know it.”

“It is fair, now let go of me.” Rin tries to pull himself away, but Makoto’s grip holds fast.

“No. Not until you say you love me.”

“But I just _did_ a few minutes ago.”

“In _English._ I want it in Japanese.”

“There’s no difference―”

“There is, trust me.” They end up staring at each other defiantly, neither side backing down, until finally Makoto gives in.

“Just once. Say it once in Japanese and I’ll let go of you.” Rin still grumbles, but the determination in Makoto’s eyes tells him he’s not going to win this one completely. As he tacks on, "I'll never ask you again..." Rin surrenders.

“Fine, just once. And I’m not repeating myself. Then you let go of me.” Makoto smiles and nods.

“Deal.” Sighing, the red-haired male swallows. This shouldn’t be so nerve wracking. Glancing once more at Makoto’s hopeful and awaiting gaze, Rin can’t find it in him to match his stare as he relents.

“I love you.”

“Me too!” He gives Rin a quick peck on the nose before releasing him, and the shark boy dashes off to another room without so much as a look backwards, leaving his boyfriend laughing behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Free! fic, I've been working on this for awhile but I finally got it done recently. Thank you for taking the time to read this though, and I hope it was entertaining!!


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